Tape measure

ABSTRACT

A tape measure includes a spool, a housing defining an opening, where the spool is rotatably coupled to the housing, and a blade including a first end and a second end, where the first end is connected to the spool and the second end is movable through the opening between a retracted position and an extended position. The manually retractable tape measure further includes a cleaning assembly positioned within the housing adjacent the opening such that the cleaning assembly is in contact with the blade to push away debris from the blade as the blade moves between the retracted position and the extended position.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to tape measures. More specifically, thepresent invention relates to an open reel-type tape measure with aself-cleaning assembly.

Open reel-type tape measures are a type of manually retractable tapemeasure. Open reel-type tape measures are often used to take longmeasurements. For example, many open reel tape measures include 100 feetor more of tape whereas a conventional tape measure includes no morethan about 35 feet of tape. Unlike conventional tape measures, manuallyretractable tape measures, such as an open reel tape measures, oftendoes not include a biasing member that automatically retracts the tape.Rather, the user must manually retract the tape. In addition, these tapemeasures are commonly used in environments where dust and debris arepresent. Often dust and debris can gather on the tape measure which mayeventually lead to a jam. Debris can also collect within the tapemeasure housing and interfere with the working parts of the tapemeasure.

SUMMARY

In one construction, the invention provides a tape measure including acleaning assembly.

In another construction, the invention provides a tape measure includinga spool, a housing defining an opening where the spool is rotatablycoupled to the housing, and a blade including a first end and a secondend, in which the first end is connected to the spool and the second endis movable through the opening between a retracted position and anextended position. The manually retractable tape measure furtherincludes a cleaning assembly positioned within the housing adjacent theopening such that the cleaning assembly is in contact with the blade topush away debris from the blade as the blade moves between the retractedposition and the extended position.

In another construction, the invention provides a tape measure includinga spool, a housing having a first side and a second side that cooperateto define a housing interior and an opening, a gear assembly coupled tothe spool and the housing to enable rotation of the spool with respectto the housing, and a blade including a first end attached to the spooland a second end that extends through the opening and is movable betweena retracted position and an extended position. The manually retractabletape measure further includes a wiper disposed within the housinginterior and including a cleaning portion, a first tubular portion thatextends from the cleaning portion in a first direction, and a secondtubular portion that extends from the cleaning portion in a seconddirection opposite the first direction. The first tubular portion issupported by the first side of the housing and the second tubularportion is supported by the second side of the housing to position thecleaning portion into direct contact with the blade as the blade movesbetween the retracted position and the extended position.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration ofthe detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a tape measure.

FIG. 2 is a partially disassembled view of the tape measure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of a cleaning device according to oneembodiment without a tape measure housing.

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the tape measure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of another embodiment of a cleaningdevice with a portion of the housing removed.

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of the tape housing according to theembodiment of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cleaning device of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of a coating for a tape blade.

FIG. 9 is a front view and a side view of another tape measure.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a long reel tape measure.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the long reeltape measure of FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and the arrangement of components set forthin the following description or illustrated in the following drawings.The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orof being carried out in various ways.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a tape measure 10 that includes a housing 14, atape blade 18, a crank arm 22, a handle 26, and a cleaning assembly 30.The tape measure 10 is a manually retractable tape measure with an openreel. The housing defines a top 34, a bottom 38, a front 42, a back 46,and two sides 50, 54. The housing 14 further includes an interior and anexterior. In the illustrated construction, the housing 14 is formed fromtwo shells 58, 62 that attach to one another along a seam to completethe housing 14. A tape blade 18 is positioned between the shells 58, 62.The blade 18 includes a first side and a second side that opposes thefirst side. The first side and the second side of the blade extendbetween a first end and a second end. The tape blade 18 is wound onto aspool 66 to define a tape reel 70. The spool 66 is rotatably coupled tothe housing 14 by a post 74 that extends between the shells 58, 62 alonga rotational axis of the spool 66. The spool 66 is further coupled to acrank arm 22 by a gear assembly 78. Rotation of the crank arm 22 causesthe spool 66 to rotate and the tape blade 18 to either extend or retractdepending on the direction the crank arm 22 is rotated. The crank arm 22is typically manually rotated. The crank arm 22 is coupled to the spool66 by the gear assembly 78 preferably having at least a 3 to 1 gearratio. A clutch is also provided to inhibit rotation of the crank arm 22as the tape is retracted and/or to inhibit rotation of the gears 78 whenthe mechanism is jammed. The gear ratio allows for the tape blade 18 tobe retracted at a faster speed with fewer rotations of the crank arm 22.The gear assembly 78 can also have another gear ratio that allows for afaster speed of rotation. For example, in some embodiments, the gearratio is greater than 3 to 1 (e.g., 6 to 1).

With continued reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the tape measure 10 includesa handle 26 formed on the top 34 of the housing 14 that allows a user tohold the tape measure 10 with one hand and rotate the crank arm 22 withthe other hand. The handle 26 includes an ergonomic design that allowsfor easy measurements. The housing 14 further includes spike storagethat enables storage of one or more spikes for single person operation.The spikes are arranged to attach to the tape blade 18 and can beembedded in the ground or otherwise attached to objects to fix the endof the tape, thereby allowing a single user to take a measurement.Together the handle 26 and the rest of the housing 14 form concaveportions 82 on the sides 50, 54 and bottom 38 of the housing 14. Theconcave portions 82 enable the tape measure 10 to be rested on a surfacewhile still allowing the tape blade 18 to be extended or retractedwithout the blade 18 touching the surface. The handle 26 and the housing14 are formed from materials and constructions that provide high dropdurability. The drop durability is further increased by incorporatingresilient pieces 86 along the corners of the tape measure 10 to receivethe brunt of a dropping force. In addition, the resilient pieces 86 canbe placed along the handle 26 to increase friction when the tape measureis resting on the resilient pieces 86. While the tape measure describedherein is directed to a manually retractable tape measure, it should beunderstood that the following features may be used in conjunction with aspring loaded retractable tape measure.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, the blade 18 extends from an opening 90in the housing 14. The tape blade 18 includes a leading end 94 thatexits the opening 90 of the housing 14 first when the blade 18 is beingextended and enters the opening 90 of the housing 14 last when the blade18 is being retracted. The opening 90 is located at a bottom quadrant ofthe housing 14. A cleaning assembly 30 is positioned inside the housing14 just behind the opening 90. In other embodiments, the cleaningassembly 30 is positioned on the outside of the housing 14 adjacent theopening 90. The cleaning assembly 30 removes dust and debris from thetape blade 18 when the tape blade 18 is retracted into the housing 14 oras the blade 18 is extracted from the housing 14. As shown in FIGS. 3and 4, the cleaning assembly 30 includes resilient wipers 98 and acasing 102. The wipers 98 are at least partially contained in the casing102, which holds the wipers 98 at an angle directed towards the tapeblade 18. The wipers 98 contact a top side 106 and a bottom side 110 ofthe tape blade 18 to clean the tape blade 18. In other embodiments,there is a small gap between the wipers 98 and the blade 18 to preventexcessive resistance on the blade 18 while the blade 18 is retracting.The wipers 98 extend through the opening 90 of the housing 14. As theblade 18 retracts, the blade 18 slides between wipers 98 and the wipers98 push away unwanted debris before the blade 18 enters the opening 90of the housing 14. The wipers 98 can be made using a variety ofmaterials, including but not limited to, plastic, rubber, silicon,fabric, bristles, wire mesh, or a combination thereof. In someembodiments, the cleaning assembly 30 can be a replaceable insert, whilein other embodiments the cleaning assembly 30 can be permanently fixedto the housing 14. The cleaning assembly 30 can also include a cleaningsolution to further clean the tape blade 18. In these constructions, afluid reservoir holds a quantity of fluid and directs fluid to thecleaning assembly 30 or wipers 98. Variations of the tape measuredescribed with respect to FIGS. 2-4 can also be incorporated into thetape measure shown in FIGS. 5-7 and 10-11, and vice versa.

FIGS. 5-7 illustrate another embodiment of a cleaning assembly 200. Thecleaning assembly 200 of this embodiment includes two wipers 204 thatinhibit debris from entering the tape housing 14. In other embodiments,greater or fewer wipers 204 may be used. Similar to the firstembodiment, the wipers 204 are positioned proximate the opening 90 andare contained within the housing 14. The wipers 204 each include acleaning portion 208 and an attachment portion 212. The cleaning portion208 is generally flat and defines a plate-like structure having aproximal end 216, a distal end 220, a left side 224, and a right side228. The distal end 220 of each wiper 204 contacts the tape blade 18 toremove debris. The proximal end 216 of each wiper 204 connects to theattachment portion 212. The attachment portion 212 of each wiper 204defines a tubular body 232 that extends along the proximal end 216 ofthe cleaning portion 208. The attachment portion 212 extends beyond boththe left and right sides 224, 228 of the cleaning portion 208. Theattachment portion 212 further includes a key 236 extending radiallyoutward from the tubular body 232. The key 236 also extends along atleast a portion of the length of the tubular body 232.

The wipers 204 are held in place within the tape housing 14 by theattachment portion 212 and the tape housing 14. As illustrated in FIG.6, the attachment portion 212 of the wipers 204 engages with slots 240in the housing 14. Specifically, the slots 240 are c-shaped such thateach slot includes a key hole 244. The key holes 244 receive the key 236of each wiper 204, respectively. Engagement of the keys 236 by the keyholes 244 maintains the angle of the wipers 204 and prevents the wipers204 from rotating within the housing 14 as the tape blade 18 retracts orextends. In other embodiments, the cleaning portion 208 functions as thekey 236. In this embodiment, the plate-like structure of the cleaningportion 208 is received by the key holes 244 to prevent the wipers 204from rotating.

The housing 14 maintains the wipers 204 at an angle relative to oneanother. A top wiper 204 is positioned above the blade 18 (not shown inFIGS. 5-7) such that the distal end 220 of the cleaning portion 208contacts the blade 18 on the top side 106. A bottom wiper 204 ispositioned below the blade 18 such that the distal end 220 of thecleaning portion 208 contacts the blade 18 on the bottom side 110.

The cleaning assembly 30 helps limit the amount of dust and debris thatenters the tape measure housing 14 or that remains on the blade 18 asthe blade 18 is wound. When dust and debris enter the housing 14 it caninterfere with the mechanical parts of the tape measure 10 and cause thetape measure 10 to jam. Additionally, if the tape blade 18 has debrisbetween each layer as it winds around the spool 66, the overall diameterof the tape reel 70 will expand. This can cause the tape blade 18 to jamwithin the housing. This debris can damage the surface of the tape.

In addition, the housing 14 can be configured to help prevent debrisfrom entering through the opening 90. As shown in FIG. 11, the housing14 can include closed walls above or behind the wipers 204 to ensurethat debris does not enter the housing 14 after being wiped off of theblade 18 (e.g., the wall immediately above the upper wiper 204). Thehousing 14 can also be shaped so that there are no housing walls belowthe wipers 204 so debris that is pushed off of the blade 18 by thewipers 204 does not fall into the housing, but instead falls onto theground. Additionally, the opening 90 of the housing 14 surrounding thewipers 204 can be large and open to allow for easy access from theoutside of the housing 14 to allow a user to clear off debris or waterthat is caught by the closed walls above or behind the wiper.

With reference to FIG. 8, additional features can aid in keeping thetape measure 10 cleaner and free from debris. For example, the blade 18is provided with a waterproof coating that whisks away water and othercontaminants. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the tape blade 18 includesadditional features that help maintain the integrity of the blade 18.The tape blade 18 includes a nylon clad steel blade that is aboutone-half inch in width with other arrangements and widths beingpossible. The illustrated blade 18 includes dual sided printing,imperial on top, and a 1/10 engineers scale on the bottom. A tape tearsolution is also incorporated into the tape blade 18. The tape tearsolution provides an extra coating on the blade to reduce the likelihoodof tearing. As illustrated, the tape tear coating is provided on atleast the last foot of the tape blade 18 toward the leading end 94 ofthe tape blade 18 where tearing is most likely to occur. The tape tearsolution could include a layer of nylon or another material.

In addition, the tape measure 10 may include features to help maintainthe accuracy of the measurements acquired with the tape measure 10. Theblade 18 is an anti-stretch blade 18 with up to 30 percent less stretchthan prior tape measure blades. Also, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 9,the tape measure 10 includes an accuracy scale. The scale informs a userof the accuracy of the tape measurement 10 based on the currenttemperature. If the temperature is warm or cold enough to alter thelength of the tape blade 18, the accuracy scale will inform the userthat the measurement is over or under an accurate measurement and canprovide an adjustment based on the actual temperature.

In another embodiment (FIG. 9), a tape measure 114 includes a housing118 with an open frame 122 for contamination control.

The tape measures illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6, and 9 include housings thatsubstantially enclose the tape when it is retracted into the housing.The construction of FIG. 9 does include an open portion that providesfor additional contamination control by allowing for easy cleaning andremoval of any debris that might adhere to the tape.

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate a long reel open frame tape measure thatincludes a cleaning assembly 300 similar to the cleaning assembly 200illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the cleaningassembly 200 includes a first wiper 305 and a second wiper 310positioned near an opening 315 in a tape measure housing 320. Theopening 315 provides a passage for the tape to pass through duringextension and retraction.

With reference to FIG. 11, the wipers 305, 310 include a cylindricalshaft portion 325 and a rectangular plate member 330 extending radiallyoutward from the shaft portion 325 and along the long axis of the shaftportion 325. The shaft portion 325 is sized and arranged to be receivedwithin a cylindrical aperture formed in the housing 320. In theillustrated embodiment, the aperture is formed in a boss protruding fromthe housing 320. A slot, also formed in the housing 320 is positioned toreceive the plate member 330 and inhibit rotation of the wipers 305, 310with respect to the housing 320. The slot is also arranged so that theplate members 330 extend toward the housing opening 315 and such thatthey are obliquely or acutely angled with respect to the tape or blade.In the illustrated embodiment, the slot is positioned along acircumference of the boss. In one construction, the plate members arearranged at an acute angle with respect to the tape. For example, in oneembodiment, the plate members can be arranged at a 30 degree angle withrespect to the tape, with other angles being possible. A tape contactingend of each plate member 330 includes an angled surface that is arrangedto be substantially parallel with the tape as it passes between thewipers 305, 310. Thus, in the above example, the angled surface definesa 30 degree angle with respect to the surface of the plate member 330.Of course, other arrangements may utilize different angles for the wiperwith preferred designs having a range between 10 and 60 degrees withmore preferred designs being between 15 and 45 degrees.

In operation, the wipers 305, 310 engage the top and bottom surfaces ofthe tape as it is extended out of the housing 320 and contacts the tapeas it is retracted back into the housing 320. The wipers 305, 310 areclosely spaced so that they remain in tight or close contact with bothsides of the tape as the tape moves between them. The wipers 305, 310disengage debris that might be stuck to the tape before the tape iswound in the housing 320. As the debris is removed, it falls below thewipers 305, 310 and out of the housing 320.

Although the invention has been described with reference to certainpreferred embodiments, variations and modifications exit within thespirit and scope of the present invention. Various features andadvantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed:
 1. A tape measure comprising: a spool; a housingdefining an opening, the spool rotatably coupled to the housing; a bladeincluding a first end and a second end, the first end connected to thespool and the second end movable through the opening between a retractedposition and an extended position; and a cleaning assembly positionedwithin the housing adjacent the opening, the cleaning assembly incontact with the blade to push away debris from the blade as the blademoves between the retracted position and the extended position.
 2. Thetape measure of claim 1, wherein the cleaning assembly includes a firstwiper and a second wiper.
 3. The tape measure of claim 2, wherein theblade includes a first surface and a second surface opposing the firstsurface, and wherein the first wiper contacts the first surface of theblade and the second wiper contacts the second surface of the blade. 4.The tape measure of claim 2, wherein the first wiper includes a cleaningportion and an attachment portion, and wherein the attachment portiondirectly engages the housing to attach the first wiper to the housing.5. The tape measure of claim 4, wherein the attachment portion defines atubular body, and wherein the cleaning portion defines a plate memberthat extends radially outward from the tubular body.
 6. The tape measureof claim 4, wherein the attachment portion defines an attachment widththat extends beyond a width of the cleaning portion.
 7. The tape measureof claim 4, wherein the housing includes a slot defining a key hole, andwherein the attachment portion includes a key engagable with the keyhole to limit rotation of the first wiper.
 8. The tape measure of claim7, wherein the housing includes a c-shaped boss that defines acylindrical aperture and the slot.
 9. The tape measure of claim 4,wherein the housing includes a boss protruding from the housing andhaving a cylindrical aperture and a slot disposed along a circumferenceof the boss, and wherein the shaft portion of the first wiper isreceived within the cylindrical aperture and the plate member extendsthrough the slot.
 10. The tape measure of claim 4, wherein theattachment portion includes a first side that extends from the cleaningportion in a first direction and a second side extending from thecleaning portion in a second direction opposite the first direction, andwherein both the first side and the second side of the attachmentportion are coupled to the housing.
 11. The tape measure of claim 4,wherein the first wiper is coupled to the housing in a fixed position,and wherein the cleaning portion of the first wiper forms an acute anglewith the blade.
 12. The tape measure of claim 11, wherein the firstwiper is arranged at a 30 degree angle with the blade.
 13. The tapemeasure of claim 3, wherein the first wiper includes an angled surfacethat is arranged to be substantially parallel to the first surface ofthe blade as the blade moves between the retracted position and theextended position.
 14. A tape measure comprising, a spool; a housinghaving a first side and a second side that cooperate to define a housinginterior and an opening; a gear assembly coupled to the spool and thehousing to enable rotation of the spool with respect to the housing; ablade including a first end attached to the spool and a second end thatextends through the opening and is movable between a retracted positionand an extended position; and a wiper disposed within the housinginterior and including a cleaning portion, a first tubular portion thatextends from the cleaning portion in a first direction, and a secondtubular portion that extends from the cleaning portion in a seconddirection opposite the first direction, the first tubular portionsupported by the first side of the housing and the second tubularportion supported by the second side of the housing to position thecleaning portion into direct contact with the blade as the blade movesbetween the retracted position and the extended position.
 15. The tapemeasure of claim 14, wherein the gear assembly defines a gear ratio ofat least 3 to
 1. 16. The tape measure of claim 14, wherein the cleaningportion includes a plate member that extends toward the opening at anacute angle with respect to the blade.
 17. The tape measure of claim 16,wherein the plate includes an angled end surface that defines a planarportion that directly contacts the blade.
 18. The tape measure of claim14, wherein the blade includes a top surface and a bottom surface andwherein the cleaning portion is in direct contact with the top surfaceof the blade.
 19. The tape measure of claim 18, wherein the wiper is afirst wiper, and wherein a second wiper is connected to the housing andincludes a second cleaning portion in direct contact with the bottomsurface of the blade.
 20. The tape measure of claim 19, wherein theblade defines a mirror plane and the second wiper is a mirror image ofthe first wiper with respect to the mirror plane.